Video: Operation Breakthrough helping kiddos reach their full potential
November 9, 2017 | Bobby Burch
Founded in 1971 by two nuns, Sister Corita Bussanmas and Sister Berta Sailer, Operation Breakthrough serves more than 450 children daily with a mission to provide a safe educational environment for children in poverty.
The has adapted through the decades to meet the needs of Kansas City’s low-income community, Operation Breakthrough CEO Mary Esselman said. Implemented three years ago, the makerspace includes such zones as textiles, studio arts, chef’s corner and construction/toy hacking, she said. It’s part of an effort to expand early childhood development beyond merely teaching toddlers how to pick up a book, Esselman said.
Welcoming select children from ages 6 weeks to 13 years, the center also includes such health-related programs as a USDA-approved meal program serving more than 1,000 meals a day, occupational and physical therapy, speech and language therapy, a dental clinic, and an on-site Children’s Mercy clinic.
Learn more about the center with the video below.
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
PayIt announces $100M+ funding round from single investor
Simplifying government services through tech just got easier for Kansas City-based startup PayIt. All thanks to a funding round of more than $100 million, the company announced Thursday. UPDATED: ‘Transformative’ $100M+ investment for PayIt means KC GovTech startup will boost hiring PayIt — named one of Startland’s 10 Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2018 — received the…
Time for apathy is over, Condon says; Advocates make business case for Pre-K funding
Kansas City’s unequal playing field for children and inconsistent access to early education programs has a distinct ripple effect into the business community, Matt Condon said, advocating for Mayor Sly James’ Pre-K for KC initiative. “I don’t make any apologies about what a great city this is. But on this issue in particular, we are…
$4M childcare center on Prospect could be pivotal for urban core development
Students who grow up in Kansas City’s urban core shouldn’t be denied access to a quality education based on their address, Myron McCant said as he thumbed through renderings of a 15,000-square-foot learning space that could soon grant such students access to a brighter future. “If you would come into my facility, then you would…
Next KCMO mayor needs this personality trait to build trust, Sly James says
The role of mayor doesn’t always require being “the lead dog on the sled,” said Sly James. Rather, it’s an opportunity for a bridge between those knowledgeable enough to make change, the outgoing KCMO mayor added. “I sit in a position where — let’s say generally, not always — when I call, people call me…